The Lift
by Ash M. Knight
Summary: Emma and Regina attend a dance school together. Emma has two left feet, surprisingly enough, but Regina is the talent of the school. When they get paired up to work together, Regina's limits and patience are tested. SwanQueen AU.
1. Chapter 1: Partners

The first day of classes is usually nerve-wracking for anyone, especially at a school for dance during your senior year, but the confidence of Regina Mills washed any of that anxiety away as she entered her first class of the day, sitting down near the front of the enormous practice room. She was the first one there. A few moments later, other students poured into the room, including a young Emma Swan.

The blonde sat down beside the brunette but said nothing, instead simply facing the front of the room where the teacher would stand. When the teacher did enter the room, the students went silent.

"Good morning, class," she said loudly, projecting all the way to the back of the large room. "Given that this is not your first class at this school, I expect you all to know how to behave in here. You're all seniors here, so you've been through this before. I also expect you to perform at your very best, given that you will all have your senior recitals at the end of this semester. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all said in unison, the sound echoing through the room.

"Good," the teacher said. "Then let's begin."

Most of the class went as expected. The routines were challenging, but there was little the students hadn't seen before. Given that they were all practiced dancers, they were also adept at learning new moves and techniques, and most of them picked up on them quickly.

Emma Swan, on the other hand, had to work harder than the rest. In fact, almost every move was a challenge. Though she was skilled and talented, her form was far from perfect, and it had irritated every teacher she'd had since her freshman year. She was determined, though, and by the end of each semester, she mastered the techniques just like the other students. It simply took her longer.

That day, towards the end of the class, her clumsiness reared its ugly head as she slipped on the hardwood flood, crashing into the beautiful Regina Mills who was practicing on the bar beside her.

"Shit, I am so sorry!" Emma cried, reaching out to help the girl up.

But Regina had no intentions of accepting help from the klutz who had just knocked her onto her ass, so she slapped the blonde's hand away and snapped, "Don't touch me. And back the fuck off next time."

"Problem, ladies?" the teacher said, walking over to them from the other side of the room.

"Yeah," Regina started. "This clumsy buffoon just knocked me to the floor. Can you tell her to stay in her own space, please?"

"Really, Miss Swan?" the teacher sighed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

What the teacher wanted to say, however, was, _How are you still attending this school?_ but she said nothing else. Instead, she walked away and continued instructing the class and critiquing the rest of the students, who were far better off than Emma. Regina included. In fact, Regina was the star student of the entire school. Dance came to her with ease, and her every move was nearly perfect.

But Emma wasn't jealous. No. She just forced herself to focus on her own skills in order to better them and pass her classes, even if her grades were dismal. For the remaining few minutes of the class, she made sure to steer clear of the star dancer, even if it meant focusing more on her proximity to the girl than the actual routine she was practicing. At the very end of the class, though, she approached the girl once more.

"Hey, Regina. I'm really sorry. I seriously didn't mean to do that. I'm just-"

"Save it, Swan. I don't want to hear it."

With that, the brunette left out of the classroom with the rest of the students. With a sigh, Emma filed out of the room as well, then made her way to her next class, which – thankfully – she didn't have with Regina.

The next day, Emma's luck continued to plummet. As she approached the doorway to the classroom, she turned her head, thinking she'd heard someone call her name, and ended up crashing right into Regina.

"Oh, shit-" she started, but was quickly cut off by Regina scoffing and shoving her to the side.

"Get out of my way, klutz."

Instead of protesting, Emma did as she was told and sat close to the corner of the classroom as the teacher gave them instructions for the day's practice lesson.

Later that night, Emma found that fate had not yet finished with her. In fact, it seemed that it was really just beginning to make every move backfire. In the hallway, she managed to crash into yet another student. To her surprise and horror, it was none other than the male star dancer, who was – not-so-coincidentally – Regina's current boyfriend.

"Hey, Robin, I'm really sorry. I am such an idiot. I just kinda tripped and-"

"You tripped on air?"

"I… Yeah. I… I guess so. Sorry."

"Just get out of the way, punk," he grumbled, pushing past her.

Just as Emma turned to walk the other way, she saw Regina coming down the hallway.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped, as Emma stepped backwards until her back was pressed against a locker.

"I… I accidentally…"

"You're un-fucking-believable, Swan. Really."

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to. I'm just-"

"Challenged?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh. Just leave my boyfriend alone, okay? And stay the hell away from me."

"Yeah. Got it."

Unfortunately for Regina, the next day brought a horrifying surprise she never could have expected.

"Now, class, we're going to partner up. You're to create your own choreography with your partner in preparation for your senior recitals. I expect full cooperation and teamwork. To make sure it's fair, I will be the one choosing your partners." Regina was the first student she walked up to, then said, "Miss Mills, I'm pairing you with Miss Swan, because you are clearly the best dancer here, and she clearly… uh… needs the help."

"Are you _kidding me?_ " Regina blurted out, jerking her head around to look at Emma. "That's _ridiculously unfair!_ "

"Partner decisions are final, Miss Mills, and if you can't respect that, then you're welcome to go to the headmaster's office and relay your complaint to deaf ears."

Scowling, Regina crossed her arms and looked away, saying nothing else.

"Good!" the teacher said cheerfully. "Now, we can get started. I'll pair the rest of you up and you can start coming up with a routine. I'll touch base with you all tomorrow. And I do expect each and every one of you to spend time outside of class practicing. This is a very serious matter, and you should all be at your best. Especially you, Miss Swan."

As soon as they paired up, Regina glared at her partner.

"If you fuck this up for me, even in the slightest, I will fucking end you. Do you understand me?"

Emma swallowed hard and nodded her head.

"Absolutely."

"Good. Now, since we both know you're useless, I'll come up with the ideas, and you'll simply follow them. That's all there is to it."

"But she said we were both supposed to-"

"I really don't care what she said. I want an A in this class, and I fully intent to nail my senior recital. If you think you're going to get in the way of that, you're sadly mistaken."

"No, no. I won't. I promise."

 _Please don't kill me_ , Emma was thinking, fear written all over her face. Regina was not one to be trifled with, and Emma was all too aware of the other students who had received her wrath, so she remained quiet the rest of the class period, listening carefully to each one of the girl's instructions and following them as best she could, even though she failed every move the first time she tried it.

"How did you even get _in_ to this school?!" Regina finally snapped, exasperated.

"I… Dumb luck?"

"You're damn right. Now get out of my sight. I'll meet you in the auditorium after dinner to practice. Seven o'clock. Don't you dare be late. My time is valuable."

"Okay. Sure thing. You got it."

Rolling her eyes, Regina left the classroom in a huff, trying her best to compose herself and hide her frustration.


	2. Chapter 2: Pathetic

Just before dinner, Emma met up with her only two friends in the hallway.

"Hey Belle. Hey Ruby. What's up?"

"Heard you pissed off the Queen Bee today," Ruby laughed, shaking her head. "You sure do have the worst luck of anybody I know, kid."

"Yeah. Don't I know it," Emma sighed, pushing a hand through her hair. "She-"

But they were distracted by the dinner bell ringing, so they made their way to the dining hall before finishing their conversation. As Emma and her friends got in line, they had to walk directly past Regina and her boyfriend, who were attached at the lips, tongues tangling with each other, both making awkward noises that made the other three students want to throw up. All three quickly lost their appetite, but they each grabbed a tray anyway and sat down at a table in the back corner.

"So what happened, exactly?" Belle asked, popping a small piece of bread into her mouth.

"Well, I fell over into her in class on the first day, and then I crashed into her on the way to class, and then I ran into her goddam boyfriend in the hallway, and _then_ Mrs. Austen paired us up for senior recital practice!"

"Oh, damn!" Ruby cried. "That's _awful!_ "

"Yeah. I know it. She's definitely out for blood if I fuck up one more time. I'm totally terrified she's going to sick her boyfriend on me and he's gonna crack my ribs."

"Oh, come on, Em," Belle sighed. "She's not _that_ bad."

"Are you kidding?" Ruby chimed in. "Did you _see_ what she did to Rose last semester? With her _bare hands_?"

Belle paused and bit her lip, then said, "Yeah, well… At least you know she won't sick her boyfriend on you."

"She doesn't need to," Emma groaned, letting her head fall to the table.

Ruby put her hand on her friend's back and rubbed it gently.

"It's alright, Em," she said. "You'll be okay. You work harder than anyone I know. I'm sure you'll be able to manage the routine and then she won't have any _more_ reasons to kill you."

"Helpful, Ruby," Emma said. "Real helpful."

That night, Emma arrived at the auditorium early, only to find that Regina had gotten there before her.

"Jesus," the girl snapped. "Took you long enough."

"But you said sev-"

"Forget it. Let's just get going with this, okay?"

"Yeah… Yeah, okay."

So the two practiced their routine, Emma regularly messing up and missing cues, for hours, until it was well past eleven.

"Hey, listen," Emma started. "Can we be done for the night? I really gotta sleep, or I'm gonna-"

"God! You're such a whiner!"

"Sorry. I just… I don't do well on-"

"Ugh. Just go. I expect you to do better tomorrow morning. That was pathetic."

"Yeah," the blonde told her. "I will."

The next morning, though, she made just as many mistakes as the night before, and Regina was far from impressed. Even the teacher noticed her failures, but instead of blaming Emma for her own actions, she looked at Regina and frowned.

"I expect more from you, Regina. I was sure you could straighten her out. Perhaps I was wrong? I certainly hope not. Otherwise, your grade might… suffer."

Regina's jaw dropped as she watched the teacher walk away, and she immediately turned on Emma and scowled at her.

"You're pathetic, do you know that? Seriously. Pathetic!"

"I know. I'm sorry! I'm trying. I really am. I just-"

"I really don't want to hear it. Just get it right, okay?"

"Okay."

So they practiced and practiced, and after the class was over, they practiced again later that night.

"Ugh!" Regina finally screamed. "What do I have to do to get this through your thick skull! Do I have to give you fucking lollipops or something? Bribe you with money? What? Really. Because I _cannot_ have you ruin this semester for me. Don't you get that?"

"I get that. I get that! I'm sorry. I really am trying. It just takes me longer. I'll practice more. I promise. I'll get it right."

"You'd better."

So the hours ticked by, Regina nailing every move flawlessly, and Emma _slowly_ starting to gain control over most of the moves, even though Regina had chosen some of the most challenging ones she had ever practiced. On the very last try, around one A.M., Emma managed to complete what they'd come up with without mistakes. Not perfectly in terms of form, but without any major failures.

As soon as she was done, Emma leaned over with her hands on her knees, nearly gasping for air.

"Hey… I… I think you got it there," Regina said softly, staring in wonder at the girl in front of her. "How'd you manage that?"

"I… I don't… I don't know," the blonde managed between breaths. "I just tried hard. I've _been_ trying hard."

"Yeah," the brunette said. "I guess you have been."

The next day in class, the two performed what they had so far for the teacher, who looked just as shocked and surprised as Regina had the previous night.

"Very nice," she said, clearly reluctant to give praise to her worst student. "Miss Mills, you've done well. She managed her way through the first half of your routine. I expect to see the second half tomorrow, and for it to be completely finished."

"Wait, what?" Regina gasped. "The whole second half? Tomorrow?"

"That's right. Surely, you can manage that."

"I… Yes, of course," the talented student grumbled.

"Good."

That night, when they were practicing, Regina suddenly stopped mid-move, and stared at Emma.

"This is ridiculous. The whole thing is too boring. I'm never going to pass the recital like this."

"Well… Why don't we add something to spice it up?"

"Yeah, like what?"

"Like… I dunno. Maybe a lift?" Emma offered shyly.

"Are you kidding me? Like you could pull that off."

"I could if you teach me. It'll just take time."

"We don't _have_ time, Emma! We have _hours_."

"I'll stay as late as it takes, if you want to try it. I'll get it right. I just think it'll be something different that other people won't do."

"A girl-girl lift, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's kind of gay, isn't it, lesbo?"

"Well, no. I mean… I just thought…"

"I'm just kidding, dork. We'll try it. But I swear to God, if you drop me, I will kill you."

Emma swallowed hard and nodded her head in agreement, then prepared herself for the challenge she was about to face.


	3. Chapter 3: A Little Rough

After thorough instructions from Regina, they finally attempted the lift. The first time, Emma caught her, but quickly stumbled back, nearly collapsing.

"I'm _not_ that heavy, idiot!" Regina screamed, shoving Emma backwards as soon as both of her feet were back on the ground.

"No! Not at all! I'm just a klutz. I'm sorry. You're not heavy at all…"

Regina paused, looking the girl over for signs of honesty, which she found in Emma's eyes.

"Alright. Let's try it again."

So they did, over and over again, until Emma _finally_ managed to catch her without shaking or stumbling, even gracefully setting her back down.

"That was… That was good, Emma," Regina told her reluctantly. "You did well."

This earned a smile from Emma that she couldn't contain, but as soon as she saw the seriousness in Regina's face, it disappeared.

"Sorry," she mumbled, then stepped back.

"No, it's okay. Let's call it a wrap for tonight. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Yeah. See you in the morning."

The performed the routine in front of the teacher again, this time incorporating the second half, including the lift, which Emma managed, though it was a little shaky, given her nerves.

After class, though, Emma tripped – this time on a book that was laying on the floor in front of some lockers – and fell right into Robin.

"Oh, shit," she muttered, looking up into his face and seeing that he was clearly furious.

"You know what, you little shit? I'm going to teach you a lesson," he told her, shoving her backwards hard until her back slammed into the lockers.

She winced, but said nothing. He slammed his fist into the metal, just beside her head, and she winced again.

"You need to learn a little respect, punk. I think maybe a black eye or two would do the trick," Robin laughed.

A small crowd had gathered around them, but Emma didn't dare to move. It was only when the young man cocked his arm back and made a fist that a voice called out and stopped him.

" _Robin_ ," Regina snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Huh? I was… I was just teaching this little klutz a lesson, babe. I mean, she's caused you nothing but trouble! She's got no fucking respect! She deserves-"

"If anyone is going to hit her, it's going to be me. You're a man. You can't fucking hit a girl, idiot! Especially not in front of half the school!"

"Oh, come on! She's-"

"Enough! Just go to class. Get out of my sight. We'll talk about this later."

Before Emma could thank her, Regina disappeared in the crowd of people and made her way to her next class. It was only when they met up in the auditorium to practice later that the blonde got a chance to bring up the incident that had happened that morning.

"Hey… Um… Why did you do that?" Emma asked shyly, avoiding making eye contact with the dancer.

"Do what?"

"Why'd you call him off like that?"

"Why? Because you're a girl and he's a man and that was completely inappropriate. Like I said, if anybody's going to hit you, it's going to be me."

Regina laughed, but Emma could tell it was nervous and forced.

"Anyway," the blonde said slowly, "I appreciate it. He could've really hurt me."

"He probably would have too."

Regina shrugged and looked away, reaching over to the stereo to start the music they used for practice.

"He doesn't hit you, does he?" Emma asked suddenly, staring at Regina until she turned to meet her gaze.

"No. No, he doesn't. Why do you give a shit anyway? I've done nothing but torment you since we met."

"That doesn't mean I want you hurt, Regina," Emma explained. "You've had every right to give me shit. Like you said, I'm pathetic. I've caused you nothing but problems and almost ruined your chance of passing this class and your senior recital."

"I don't understand…"

"You've stuck with me through all my failures. You've taught me a lot. I've learned so much from you, and I appreciate that. If someone was hurting you, I'd want to stop them. You don't deserve that."

"How can you say that, after everything I've done to you?"

"Regardless of what you think, I appreciate what you've done for me, and I really am sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I know you're frustrated with me, and I'm very grateful that you haven't given up."

"The only reason I haven't given up is because my entire grade is riding on this. Honestly, you're the last person I'd ever want to work with. At least… before all this."

"All what?"

"Before I saw how hard you could work. Before I saw how dedicated you are."

Emma shrugged.

"This is my life, Regina. This is all I care about."

"I get that," the brunette told her, nodding her head slightly.

"Well, you've got Robin, so…"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Nothing! It just means… I meant… You've got someone to care about. I've got… Well… Belle and Ruby, but no one… Um… Anyway, he's lucky to have you, and-"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Swan?"

"Oh, God. I'm making an ass of myself. I'm just saying it would be nice to have someone."

"Trust me: you don't want a guy like him."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… He's not… abusive… He's just… a little… rough… and… sort of… gets around, if you know what I mean."

"What?!"

"He kinda… He kinda shoves sometimes."

"Regina-"

"Hey, don't. It's fine. He's just got a temper is all."

"You deserve to be treated better than that. No one should shove you or be unfaithful to you. Ever."

Regina hesitated, then said, "We should practice."

Emma, a little surprised at the sudden change in subject, nodded her head, but said nothing for the rest of the evening. That practiced until eleven-thirty, then called it quits.

"See you tomorrow," Emma said. "Think about what I said, please."

Regina shrugged and turned away to collect her things, making no comment or response.


	4. Chapter 4: The Lift

The next day, there seemed to be an awkward air between them as they practiced in class, neither of them speaking to each other while they did so. It was a successful class period, but neither of them made any comments before leaving the room.

It was only later that night that either of them said anything to each other.

"Hey, Emma?" Regina said after they'd practiced for a few minutes.

"Huh?"

"You'll find the right guy. Someone better than Robin. Just be patient."

"Uh… No offense, but who said I was looking for a guy?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I… Sorry?"

"I'm… uh… into girls."

"What? Really? I was just joking when I called you a lesbo the other day…"

"Yeah, really. Is it that surprising?"

"Well… No… I guess not. I just didn't really think anyone else-"

"What?"

"Nothing. We should practice."

Biting her lip, Emma nodded and proceeded to perform the routine, but in the back of her mind, she was stuck on what Regina had been about to say.

The next few days continued like that, with neither of them saying much but working hard to perform at their best. Regina rarely scolded Emma, mostly because she was getting better with each passing day, and Emma tried her hardest to keep it that way. Two weeks later, though, just as they were perfecting their routine, Regina showed up to their evening practice with what seemed to be the redness of a handprint on her cheek.

At first, Regina was silent and simply prepared to begin their practice session, but Emma stood staring, and finally, the brunette noticed.

"What?" she asked shortly, hands on her hips.

"Regina…"

"What?" the girl repeated.

"Your face."

"Gorgeous, I know. Let's get going. We really don't have a lot of time."

Just as Regina was about to start the music, Emma reached out and stopped her hand.

"That looks like it hurt."

"I'm fine," Regina responded, pushing the other girl's hand away.

"I don't think you're fine. I think he hurt you and you don't want to talk about it."

"I hit my cheek on the wall when I was drunk, and no, I don't want to talk about it."

Emma looked skeptical and said, "That's some bullshit if I've ever heard it. You can talk to me, you know. I'm not gonna tell anyone."

Regina paused and looked up at her dance partner.

"No one?"

"No one."

"Ever?"

"Never."

"He got pissed off at me, because he thinks I'm sleeping with Killian."

"What?" Emma gawked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"You should leave him, Regina. You don't have to put up with that. There are other people who will treat you better and take care of you and support you."

The brunette hesitated, but turned and hit the play button on the stereo, starting the music. Emma stopped the sound as soon as it came through the speakers.

"Hey. Regina. Come on. I'm serious," the blonde protested.

"Look, I don't have anything else to say about it. I just want to get this done, alright?"

With a sigh, Emma nodded and hit play on the stereo, then got into the starting position for their routine.

This time, though, Emma was distracted, constantly glancing over at the mark on Regina's face.

"Hey! Watch it!" Regina cried as Emma lifted her.

But Emma was too slow to catch herself, and though she didn't completely drop Regina, the girl slid down until her feet touched the floor, Emma holding Regina's body against her own to keep her from falling. When she noticed how close together their lips were, she blushed and quickly let go, but Regina suddenly froze and stared at her.

"Hey," the brunette said. "Look at me." When Emma lifted her head, she added, "What was that?"

"That was… I was just…"

"I'm fine, Emma. I can tell that you're worried, though I really don't get why, but I'm fine."

"Regina-"

"Don't. I'm not weak. I'm not a victim."

"You don't have to be a victim. You can be a survivor. You can get out of this," Emma told her, very nearly pleading with the girl to understand.

"You… You really care about me, don't you?"

"I… I do."

"You're crazy."

This brought a smile to Emma's lips as she nodded her head.

"Yep. Pretty much. But it's not exactly sane to stay in an abusive relationship when you're insanely gorgeous and could have any guy in the school."

Regina's eyes widened at the comment.

"Who says I'm looking for a guy?"

Emma raised her eyebrows involuntarily and stared at the beautiful brunette, unsure of what to say.

"You know," Regina continued, "you're not so bad yourself." Then, after a pause, she added, "And you're not such a horrible dancer. Let's try it again."

Red in the face, Emma proceeded to practice their routine, but she slipped up once more during the next lift, and caught Regina in her arms again. For the second time, their bodies and lips were close together, but this time, Regina reached out and stroked the blonde's cheek, a small smile curling her lips.

"W-What are you d-doing?" Emma stammered, unable to tear her green eyes away from the brunette's brown ones.

"I don't know, honestly."

And with that, Regina pressed their lips together in a slow kiss as she slid her arms around the back of Emma's neck.

At first, Emma was too shocked to move, but when she found that Regina wasn't stopping, she gave in and moved their lips together, savoring the taste of the girl's strawberry Chapstick.

"I do care about you," Emma said softly when they finally pulled away from each other.

"I think you should know by now that I care about you too."

The two smiled at each other, knowing that working together was about to get a lot easier.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's where I'm cutting this one off! Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Wish I had a little more to say about this one, but for now... I got nothin'. Sorry, guys! Hopefully it was an okay ride.**


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